Posts Tagged: Books and Book Reviews

I have been thinking about this book a bit more. The other day when Mr. B. left a comment, I responded in part "I think you have hit a very sweet spot between newbie and fan. Imagine being the one who created a bridge over that gap." The more I think about that line, the more I think I have hit …

Not only do I like a good atlas, I believe deeply in the graphic presentation of data. Mapping, graphs, tables, photos and flow charts. These are the things that provide instruction, organize and contextualize. Text is so over valued, isn't it? Anyway, suffice it to say that the WAo'B is lush … read more »

I haven't mentioned it since May, but the wiki grows. It's alive. This observation in the section on the letter "C" is my favorite correction in the OCB wiki so far: • "cask" this entry states that "After filing, a plastic or wooden stopper called a shive is driven into the large bunghole on the …

As recently discussed, the past is a foreign land when it comes to US beer history. More like another planet it seems sometimes. I am not sure why this is but I suspect it has something to do with the drive to be authoritative rather than innovative when it comes to so many of the beer books being …

It has been a bit part of the puzzle for me. As I have mentioned before, Craig as taken more of an interest in Albany Ale as reflected in the 1800s industrial period where I am more interested in the pre-1800s experience. The weird thing has been that not only do the two eras reflect issues of …

Seven months ago, I wrote a post entitled "And Quiet Flows the OCBeerCommentary Wiki" about the sensibly slow pace of its review of The Oxford Companion to Beer. But the flow more than slowed. Pace became somewhat geological over the winter. I have to admit that I wasn't very focused myself and … read more »

Beer books. I have read enough of them but they are not the whole extent of the books I read related to my interest in beer. One of the most interesting things for me about my interest in beer is how is it woven though the community and through time. On top up there is my recently acquired copy of …

I really love these beery travel books published by Stackpole Books. It's how I met Lew and realized there was a whole world not only of great and reasonably priced beer just to the south of me in New York but also a world of sites to see, white hots to eat and roads to take. • As I mentioned …

Hmm... it's subtitled "The Secret of Lambic." I was a bit concerned before I got past the cover that this would be a book about one secret. Happily, as I worked my way through this book, I realized it was more part of a slightly troubled translation than the actual promise of what lay between the …

I got a review copy of Evan Rail's essay "Why Beer Matters" via email today. It's published for the Kindle and available at Amazon.com for an embarrassingly low price. Buy it. Why? Good question. Ever since his coming out party chez ici, he has been one of my favorite beer bloggers, a steady … read more »

Alan is apparently a Gen X-er who has hit 40... err...44... err... 45... YIKES... 46 ... [ZOW-WEE!!] 48... jessh, now 51... and edits and writes about other stuff at his personal website Gen X at 40. Please email Alan or any of the authors at this blog's gmail account - please write if you want to join the ranks of authors of this site or just want to send in a story on your favorite beer or photo of your regular pub.

I have moved the content of the OCB Commentary Wiki here. It is now a static document and pretty much is locked in as understandings existed as of 2012. Probably needs its own wiki to update the content! Below are the original introductory remarks:

"The purpose of this wiki is to collectively make comments, add annotation, identify errata and suggest further sources to the text of The Oxford Companion to Beer. Members are asked to avoid comment about the authors, the structure of the text or other extraneous matters. This wiki is a not for profit project that reviews the text pursuant to the concept of "fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review" under Canadian copyright law." Alan McLeod, wiki Organizer, and chief bottle washer at A Good Beer Blog. Motto? "Many hands make pleasant work." Alan McLeod, 25 October 2011. Please provide some information about yourself when making a request to join the wiki. Anonymous requests for membership will not be approved. Overly ardent and rudely put claims to authority will be cause for removal from the membership. As of 11 January 2012, 134 entries or 12.2% of the total of 1,100 received commentary, many with multiple comments. Eight of the photos have been corrected as well. That number rose to 151 by 13 May 2012.